Connector



Sept. 28, 1965 F. A. KUKLA 3,209,311

CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 13, 1962 4 INVENTOR.

United States atent O 3,209,311 CONNECTOR Frank A. Kukla, Cicero, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Malco Manufacturing Company, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 13, 1962, Set. N 0. 244,390 8 Claims. (Cl. 339-258) This invention relates in general to electrical connections and more particularly to an electrical terminal connector. It deals specifically with a female terminal connector of the type adapted to receive the wire wrap post of a wire wrap terminal.

With the advent of wire wrapping as a mode of joining a solid wire conductor to a terminal, collateral developments saw the emergence of female terminal connectors capable of being readily connected and disconnected to the wire wrap post of the terminal. These female terminal connectors have normally embodied barrel shaped configurations because of the space limitations ordinarily encountered on a terminal board, for example, which seats multitudes of the wire wrap terminals. In a broad sense then, barrel shaped female connectors of the type adapted to seat on the wire wrap post of a terminal are relatively well known.

The known female terminal connectors of this general type are not without certain drawbacks, however. For example, the electrical connections they establish are not always of the highest caliber since their cylindrical barrel shaped configurations do not afford a large contact area with the square (Wire wrap posts are conventionally square in cross-sectional configuration) wire wrap post. Furthermore, the gripping characteristics of these female terminal connectors have generally been found lacking. In this light, it is not uncommon for the corners of a wire wrap post to line up with the seam or seams of the barrel shaped portion of a female connector and wedge the sides of the barrel shaped portion apart to distort the connector and permanently destroy a certain amount of its gripping force.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved female terminal connector of the type adapted to receive the wire wrap post of a wire wrap terminal.

It is another object to provide a female terminal connector of the aforedescribed character which assures the establishment of a superior electrical connection between the connector and the wire wrap terminal.

It is still another object to provide a female terminal connector of the aforedescr-ibed character which tightly grips the wire wrap post of the terminal, obviating inadvertent removal of the connector.

It is a further object to provide a female terminal connector of the aforedescribed character which can be seated and removed, again and again, without losing any substantial portion of its gripping strength.

It is yet another object to provide such a female terminal connector which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

The foregoing and other objects are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a new and improved female terminal connector for removably joining a conductor to a wire wrap terminal or the like. Briefly, one aspect of the invention contemplates a female terminal connector which orients itself into predetermined relationship on the conventionally square wire wrap post of a wire wrap terminal as it is slipped over the post, to assure a superior electrical connection between the con nector and the terminal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a barrel shaped portion of the female terminal 3,209,311 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 connector, which is adapted to slip onto the wire wrap post, includes a spaced pair of barrel shaped sections whose axes are normally displaced from each other. These barrel shaped sections are interconnected by a resilient strip whereby resilient friction-type grip is established between the barrel shaped portion of the conductor and the wire wrap post of the terminal when the barrel shaped sections are forced into iaxial alignment against the bias of the resilient strip. This enhances the frictional gripping force on the wire wrap post afiiorded by radial expansion of the barrel shaped sections as they are slipped over the post.

The invention, both as to its organization. and methodof operation, taken with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a terminal board and wire wrap terminal arrangement wherein female terminal connectors embodying features of the present invention are illustrated in various stages of deployment;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a female terminal connector embodying features of the present invention, taken along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a female terminal connector embodying features of the present in vention, taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of a series of female terminal connectors interconnected in strip form, as they might appear subsequent to manufacture and precedent to utilization, for example, wherein the connectors embody features of several different forms of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE 1, a plurality of identical terminal connectors 10 are shown seated in a portion of a terminal board 11. The terminal connectors 10 are preferablyof the type illustrated in the Just et a1. Patent No. 2,995,617, entitled Self Locking Terminal, issued August 8, 1961, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. However, it should be understood that the use of self locking terminal connectors is merely exemplary and other types of terminal connectors might be utilized in accordance with the present invention.

The terminal board 11 is preferably a metal plate hav ing apertures 12 formed therein for receiving the terminal connectors 10 in the manner described in the afore} mentioned Just et al. patent. In this light each terminal connector 10 comprises a bushing 20 fabricated of nylon or the like, seated in an aperture 12 and having a terminal pin 21 extending therethrough in interference fit. Each pin 21 is a wire wrap terminal pin of well known construction and includes a wire wrap post 24. The remaining portion (not shown) of each pin 21 extends through a corresponding bushing 20 and protrudes outwardly on the opposite side of the board 11, as will readily be understood, to be connected in a prescribed manner to an electrical conductor or the like.

The Wire posts 24 are, in turn, connected into appropriate electrical circuitry through the medium of single strand conductors 25 having bared wire ends 26 wrapped tightly around a predetermined wire wrap post 24 to establish an electrical connection between the conductors 25 and the corresponding connectors 10. The wire ends 26 are wrapped around the posts 24 by well-known hand or automatic wire wrapping techniques. Only two of the conductors 25 are illustrated in FIGURE 1, although in practice more would normally be present.

Interconnecting certain of the terminal pins 21 to complete predetermined circuits in a prescribed manner are jumper assemblies 30 incorporating female terminal connectors 31 embodying features of the present invention. The female terminal connectors 31 of each jumper assembly 30 are adapted to be slipped over two prescribed Wire Wrap posts 24 to complete an electrical connection between the posts. According to the present invention, the connectors 31 are constructed and arranged whereby a superior electrical connection between each connector 31 and a corresponding wire wrap post 24 is assured. Furthermore, according to the present invention, each female terminal connector 31 grips a corresponding wire post 24 with substantial force and cannot be removed inadvertently. The gripping characteristics of these female connectors 31 are such, however, that they can be seated and removed, again and again, without a noticeable diminution in gripping force.

The terminal pins 21 are formed by die punching or the like from a strip of metal having good electrical and mechanical properties. The wire wrap posts 24 are conventionally formed with substantially square cross-sectional configurations, as has been pointed out. Accordingly, relatively sharp corners 35 are defined on the posts 24. These corners 35 are adapted to bite into the bared wire end 26 of a conductor when a conductor 25 is wire wrapped onto a post 24 to assure a superior electrical connection between the post and the conductor. A pyramidal tip 37 is formed on the free end of each wire wrap post 24 to guide a corresponding female terminal connector 31, for example, onto the post.

Each of the jumper assemblies 30 includes two female terminal connectors 31 embodying features of the present invention, connected by a conventional conductor 40. Each female terminal connector 31 includes a crimp portion 41 for joining the connector securely to a corresponding end of the conductor 40, and a barrel portion 42 for slipping onto and gripping the wire wrap post 24 of a corresponding terminal connector 10.

The connector portion 41 of the female terminal connector 31 includes a stepped tubular sleeve 45 comprising a unitary wall 46 defining a seam 47 therein. The sleeve 45 is, of course, crimped onto the bared wire end 48 (see FIGURE 2) of the conductor 40 in a corresponding jumper assembly 30 by conventional crimping means. As would be expected, the wall 46 is open at the seam 47 precedent to crimping (see FIGURE 4) to better receive the wire end 48 of the conductor 40. An outer section 49 of the connector portion 41 is slightly enlarged in diameter, as will be noticed, to enclose the insulation 50 as well as the wire end 48 of the conductor 40.

The crimp portion 41 of the female terminal connector 31 embodying the features of the present invention is formed of the same strip of metal and is contiguous with the barrel portion 42 of the female terminal connector. The barrel portion 42 includes an outer barrel shaped section 52 and an inner barrel shaped section 53 joined by a connecting strip 54. The barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 are generally cylindrical in cross-sectional configuration and, in the case of the present embodiment of this invention, define aligned seams 56 and 57 therein, respectively. The connecting strip 54 is substantially segmentally cylindrical in cross-sectional configuration, as will also be recognized. The seams 56 and 57 are a necessary product of the method of manufacture of the female terminal connector 31 from a single strip of metal, of course.

As the barrel portion 42 of a female terminal con nector 31 is slipped over a corresponding wire wrap post 24, each of the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 is forced to expand radially to a slight degree. This radial expansion of the barrel sections 52 and 53 causes them to tightly grip the wire wrap post 24, of course, resisting inadvertent removal therefrom, and is effected because the maximum transverse dimension of the wire Wrap post 24 (diagonally across from corner to corner 35) is slightly greater than, the normal inside dimension of the substantially cylindrical barrel sections 52 and 53. As will be seen in FIGURE 3, when the female terminal connector is properly seated on the wire wrap post 24, the barrel sections 52 and 53 are expanded against the bias of their own resiliency so that the seams 56 and 57 are slightly widened.

In addition to the gripping force effected by the slight radial expansion of the barrel sections 52 and 53, an additional feature of the present invention enhances and increases the gripping force of a female terminal connector 31 on a wire Wrap post 24. According to the present invention the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 are normally connected by the strip 54 in axially offset relationship, as best seen in FIGURE 2. In practice, the axis X of the outer barrel shaped section 52 is normally displaced from the axis Y of the inner barrel shaped section 53 by the relatively small angle on. This angle a is preferably in the neighborhood of about 2-3 degrees. Recalling that the connecting strip 54 is formed of substantially resilient metal, it will readily be understood that the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 of the barrel portion 42 will be forced into axial alignment with each other as they are slipped over a wire wrap post 24; the connecting strip 54 deforming as relative angular movement of the two barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 takes place.

With the female terminal connector 31 seated on a wire Wrap post 24 in the foregoing manner, it will be seen that the resilient connecting strip 54 tends to force the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 into their normally angularly displaced relationship. Consequently, the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 are wedged in opposite directions against the post 24 and the post 24 is tightly gripped by the female terminal connector 31. This gripping force enhances the gripping force by the radial expansion of the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53 as they are slipped onto the post 24, in the manner hereinbefore discussed.

As a female terminal connector 31 is slipped completely onto a wire wrap post 24, it is forced to assume an attitude relative to the wire Wrap post 24 whereby the corners 35 of the wire wrap post 24 are displaced from the seams 56 and 57 and the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53, respectively. This indexing of the female terminal connector 31 is induced by a raised platform 60 formed in the connecting strip 54, according to the present invention. The raised platform 60 actually comprises a simple bend in the connecting strip 54 defining a longitudinally curved surface 61 which forms a portion of a cylindrical surface and consequently defines a transverse substantially flat surface 61 which is slightly arcuate longitudinally of the connector 31.

The female terminal connector 31 is indexed into a position whereby its surface 61 engages one of the flat faces 62 on a corresponding wire wrap post 24. Since the connecting strip 54 is formed of resilient material, as has been pointed out, and the platform extends inwardly of the barrel shaped portion 42 to where it would normally interfere with the entering wire wrap post 24, the platform 60 is flattened somewhat, longitudinally of the connector 31, and a surface-to-surface electrical contact is effected over a predetermined area. The surface-to-surface contact affords a superior electrical connection. Furthermore, as best seen in FIGURE 3, the width of the surface 61 on the platform 60 is at least as great or slightly greater than the width of any of the faces 62 of the wire wrap post 24 and, consequently, a corner of the post 24 cannot be forced upwardly off the surface 61 to destroy the aforedescribed surface-to-surface contact.

The platform 60 is positioned as has been pointed out so that the corners 35 of the wire wrap post 24 are displaced from the seams 56 and 57 of the barrel shaped sections 52 and 53, respectively, when a female terminal connector 31 is properly seated on a wire wrap post 24. Consequently, there is no tendency for the seams 56 and 57 to be wedged open by a corner 35 whereby a portion of the resiliency of the female terminal connector 31 would be destroyed. A female terminal connector 31 cannot be seated on a wire wrap post 24 with a corner 35 of the post in alignment with a seam.

It will now be recognized that a female terminal con nector 31 has been described and illustrated which assures the establishment of a superior electrical connection between the connector 31 and a wire wrap terminal connector 10. Furthermore, the terminal connector 31 embodying features of the present invention grips the wire Wrap post 24 of a terminal with a consistently secure friction-type grip, obviating the possibility of inadvertent removal of the connector. In this light, however, the female terminal connector 31 can be seated and removed again and again without losing any substantial portion of its gripping strength. In addition to each of these features of the present invention, the female terminal connector 31 is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

The female terminal connector 31 is preferably manufactured in fact, from a single strip or sheet 65 of metal, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The female terminal connectors 31 are punched and formed While remaining interconnected in chain form. Tabs 66 join each connector to the remaining edge portion 67 of the strip 65. This chain style, interconnected string of terminal connectors 31, is preferably automatically wound onto a reel and the reel later seated in a crimping machine which feeds the individual terminal connectors 31 to the machine to be crimped onto conductors 40, for example. The foregoing description of the use of the female terminal connectors 31 is, as will be readily understood, merely exemplary.

Looking closely at the three terminal connectors illustrated in FIGURE 4, it will be seen that they are slight modifications of the female terminal connector 31 hereinbefore described in detail. In each, the modification is found solely in the relationship of the seams defined in the barrel sections 52 and 53 of the female terminal connectors. In the female terminal connector indicated generally at 70, for example, the seams 56 and 57 will be seen to be somewhat angularly disposed relative to each other, although still extending longitudinally of the female terminal connector.

In contrast, in the female terminal connector seen generally at 71, the seams 56 and 57 extend generally parallel to each other in an angularly disposed relationship to the longitudinal axis of the female terminal connector. In a further variation, as seen in the female terminal connector illustrated generally at 72, the seams 56 and 57 extend parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the female terminal connector, in offset relationship.

The immediately aforedescribed modifications in orientation of the seams 56 and 57 are sometimes incorporated as additional insurance to prevent alignment of a corner 35 of a wire wrap post 24 with the seams of the barrel sections 52 and 53 of a female terminal connector embodying features of the present invention.

While several embodiments described herein are at present considered to be preferred, it is understood that various modifications and improvements may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and improvements as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is desired to be obtained by letters Patent in the United States is:

1. A female terminal connector of the type adapted to receive the wire wrap post of an electrical terminal wherein the wire wrap post has a generally polygonal cross sectional configuration, comprising: generally tubular barrel means for slipping onto the wire wrap post and attachment means for joining said connector to conductor means, said barrel means including a pair of barrel sections joined by substantially resilient means, each of said barrel sections defining a substantially complete cylinder with a seam formed therein to permit radial expansion of the section, the longitudinal axis of said barrel sections normally being slightly angularly displaced relative to each other, whereby said resilient means is deformed slightly when said barrel means is slipped over a wire wrap post and said barrel sections are brought into axially aligned relationship, and index means on said barrel means for cooperating with the polygonal cross section wire wrap post to urge said connector into a prescribed relationship on the post.

2. A female terminal connector of the type adapted to receive the wire wrap post of an electrical terminal wherein the wire wrap post has a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration comprising: a generally tubular barrel means for slipping onto the wire Wrap post and attachment means for joining said connector to conductor means, said barrel means including a pair of barrel sections joined by a resilient connecting strip, the longitudinal axes of said barrel sections normally being slightly angularly disposed relative to each other, whereby said resilient connecting strip is deformed slightly when said barrel means is slipped over the wire wrap post and said barrel sections are brought into axially aligned relationship, and an indexing platform formed on said connecting strip for urging said connector into optimum electrical contact with the post and prescribed radially oriented relationship therewith.

3. In combination, a wire wrap post having a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration, a female connector, said female terminal connector including generally tubular barrel means seated on said wire wrap post and attachment means for joining said connector to conductor means, said barrel means comprising a pair of barrel sections joined by substantially resilient means, the longitudinal axes of said barrel sections normally being slightly angularly disposed relative to each other, whereby said resilient means is deformed slightly with said barrel means seated on said wire wrap post so that said barrel sections are in axially aligned relationship, and indexing means on said resilient means urging said connector into optimum electrical contact with the wire wrap post and prescribed radially oriented relationship therewith.

4. The combination of claim 3 further characterized in that each of said barrel sections defines a substantially complete cylinder with a seam formed therein to permit radial expansion of the section, each of said barrel sections being sized to expand radially when slipped over the post, said indexing means urging said connector into said prescribed relationship on said post whereby said seams are displaced from corners of the post.

5. The combination of claim 4 further characterized in that said indexing means includes a surface which is curved longitudinally so as to form a portion of a cylindrical surface having a width at least as great as the width of the Widest face of said post between said corners.

6. The combination of claim 4 further characterized in that said seams are angularly disposed to said longitudinal axes of said barrel sections.

7. The combination of claim 4 further characterized in that said seams extend parallel to each other in off-set relationship.

8. A female terminal connector of the type adapted to receive the wire wrap post of an electrical terminal wherein the post is square in cross-section so as to define four corners, comprising: tubular barrel means for slipping onto the wire wrap post and attachment means for joining said connector to conductor means, said barrel means including a pair of barrel sections joined by substantially resilient means, each of said barrel sections defining a substantially complete circular cylinder with a seam formed therein to permit radial expansion of the section, the longitudinal axes of said barrel sections normally being slightly angularly displaced relative to each other whereby said resilient means is deformed slightly when said barrel means is slipped over a wire wrap post 7 and said barrel sections are brought into axially aligned relationship, said barrel sections being sized to expand radially when they are slipped over the post, and raised means on said barrel means for orientating said seams away from corners of a post when said barrel sections are slipped over the post.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH D.

Dupre 339-252 Flora 339-191 Ostrek 339-258 X Hammell 339-258 Batcheller 339-258 Modrey 339-176 Berg 339-256 Colten 339-276 X FOREIGN PATENTS 12/20 Great Britain.

SEERS, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 209,311 September 28 1965 Frank A. Kukla It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 11, after "wire" insert wrap column 4 line 35, after "force", second occurrence, insert effected Signed and sealed this 12th day of April 1966 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

8. A FEMALE TERMINAL CONNECTOR OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE WIRE WRAP POST OF AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL WHEREIN THE POST IS SQUARE IN CROSS-SECTION SO AS TO DEFINE FOUR CORNERS, COMPRISING: TUBULAR BAREL MEANS FOR SLIPPING ONTO THE WIRE WRAP POST AND ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR JOINING SAID CONNECTOR TO CONDUCTOR MEANS, SAID BARREL MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF BARREL JOINED BY SUBSTANTIALLY RESILIENT MEANS, EACH OF SAID BARREL SECTIONS DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE CIRCULAR CYLINDER WITH A SEAM FORMED THEREIN TO PERMIT RADIAL EXPANSION OF THE SECTION, THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID BARREL SECTIONS NORMALLY BEING SLIGHTLY ANGULARLY DISPLACED RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER WHEREBY SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO DEFORMED SLIGHTLY WHEN SAID BARREL MEANS IS SLIPPED OVER A WIRE WRAP POST AND SAID BARREL SECTIONS ARE BROUGHT INTO AXIALLY ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP, SAID BARREL SECTIONS BEING SIZED TO EXPAND RADILLY WHEN THEY ARE SLIPPED OVER THE POST, AND RAISED MEANS ON SAID BARREL MEANS FOR ORIENTATING SAID SEAMS AWAY FROM CORNERS OF A POST WHEN SAID BARREL SECTIONS ARE SLIPPED OVER THE POST. 